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Community Corner

Local Clergy Refute Judgment Day Prediction

Clergy in Windsor don't agree with Harold Camping's controversial May 21 rapture prediction, but suggest that it serve as a reminder to live a meaningful life.

The end is nigh. Or so says those who follow the obscure and complex Biblical numerology of Harold Camping, an 89-year-old televangelist. For the past two years, Camping has been predicting 'Judgement Day' will happen at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 21.

Camping's apocalyptic message has been broadcast via hundreds of billboards around the country and by a "volunteer army of sign-toting, pamphlet-passing amateur preachers," according to a story on the Huffington Post.

Followers believe that on Saturday, the ground will quake, graves will open and many of the dead will ascend to heaven, the Huffington Post report reads.

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But clergy members in Windsor have other ideas about the prediction. 

Pastor Richard Huleatt, :

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"People have been predicting the end of the world since the beginning of time... There’s not much we can do about it but continue to live our lives in as much a meaningful way as possible."

Huleatt referred to this quote by Martin Luther:

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." 

Pastor Roy Jacobsen,

"Jesus and the gospel said that even he doesn’t know when the world is going to end.  For any group to do this is act of spiritual arrogance."

"As Christians we believe the world is going to come to an end, but, to indicate the time and hour is something that Jesus warned us against doing numerous places in the gospel."

"Jesus claims he doesn’t know when it going to happen, how are people to know?"

[Q: Are we in the end times?] "I think we are. I think ever since the resurrection of Jesus we have been in the end times, the clock is ticking."

"[They should] focus on sharing the good news of Christ with other people.  That’s what Jesus told us to do."

Rev. Jeffrey Hill, :

"According to our faith no man knows the date or the hour.  If they are claiming that Saturday is it … no one knows but God."

"In our faith our job is to just prepare ourselves, daily.  We don’t need to worry as long as we’re preparing ourselves. We are constantly preparing ourselves.  [The timing is] not something that we fear. "

"Our job as a church is to help people see their need to prepare."

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